The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-09-10


her letter she had just received.
"Read 1t, Maria, read itp'
Marin, who, like most Now England serv-
ants, was as well born nnd as accomplished
as her mistress, took the document, and
read.
Miss Elizabeth Perkins:
DEAR MADAM. I write to tell you that your
brother George died here at seven o'clock yes
terday evening, leaving young daughter seven
teen years of age. Miss Perkins Is. 1 fear.
almost without means. 1t was her father $ wish
| that she should go to you. She will leave here,
therefore, after the funeral, and arrive in Amer.
| lea in two weeks time The young lady is over.
whelmed with grief and I write in her stead.
Most sincerely yours,
MARTHA ROBINSON.
PENSION ABER1f, Sena, Italy.
Tho letter was dated March 10. 1t was
now the lst of April. May Perkins would
be here then, in a few days.
"If any thing had over happened to mo
BEFORE" sighed Miss Betty. "If any thing
mad ever happened before!" Then she
turned to Maria.
"What shall we do, Maria, what shah we
do,"
Maria must have been some relation to
Mr.. Dick, for she Immediately replicd
"Clean house."
This practical turn certainly gave great
relief to Miss Betty's mind 1t was some
thing to do, and action would, better than
any thing else, relieve the tension of her
nerves.
Within twenty-four hours the house was
overturncd-that is, not tho building itself,
but its contents. Curtains came down,
carpets sprang up, chairs located them
selves on tables, women armed with pals
appeared, men with whitowash brushes
followed. Miss Betty directed and Maria
acted as aide-de-camp. Confusion reigncd
everywhere. From peace and order there
was relapse back into original chaos.
1t was when things were ut their worst
that Miss Betty stood gazing out of an
upper window. Hergance fell on the mill
dam just above the house.
"HoW set father always was !" she mused
to herself. "How he always said there
wasn't any danger from that daml Every
body told him it would give way, and wash
us all out some day, but he wouldn't pay
any attention. It's lucky he isn't here
now,' her mind passing TO more important
matters "What would he do with a
strange young girl in the house' He never
could get along with young people, any.
way" Miss Betty sighed How should
she get along!
The household had not more than settled
back into it's normal condition when, one
day, the village carry-all drove up, and out
of it stepped blooming damsel of seven
teen. She was followed by middle-aged
man, and by seven trunks. Miss Perkins
might be penniless, but she had a wardrobe.
"Oh Aunt Betty, how do you do!"
1t was pleasant to feel that blooming
cheek pressed to here, and to know that
this newcomer was her own kith and kin.
Miss May Perkins turned to the gentle
man at her side.
"Aunt Betty, this is Mr. Mcintosh"
Poor Miss Betty! Had not enough hap
pened without this! In moment she rec
ognized the lover Of her youth. OF course
she did. What woman would not! But it
was hard to have him come in the way-to
como in the train Of this blooming damsel,
with her bright youth TO act as a contrast
to her aunt's faded features and tremulous
middle age.
There Is no use in discussing the matter.
Women will cling to the romance of their
lives. Is there faded spinster any where
who does not fondly recollect some hour
when the world seemed glorious place
and the future full Of bliss, simply because
somo specimen of the other sex has looked
fondly into her eyes! II so, Miss Betty
was not the one.
1 am not going to betray the number Of
hours that Miss Betty had spent dreaming
over the possible return of John Mcintosh.
He might come in this way, he might come
in that. He might be old and gray, and
feeble and intirm, in which case she would
see him just as he was in outh, and in old
age they would renew the romance OF their
early days. He might come with wife
and family Of children; in which case she
would be the particular friend of the woman
who had supplanted her, and the maiden
aunt to all the little folk. But she had not
planned to have him come in the train of
her own niece, and that niece u handsome
young woman, with cheeks like peaches, "a
foreign education, and gown copied from
those that English tourists procure in Paris.
q, no, no. Ten thousand times no!
But Miss Betty was genuine New En-
gland woman in the control she exercised
over her own feelings. 1t was warm well
come she gave the travellers, and neither
OF them noticed that her hands were cold,
and her voice trembled the least bit when
she drew them into the house and made
them welcome to all it containted. M
o, how much there was to tell! Aunt and
niece had to become acquainted. John
Mcintosh had to relate the history of his
ea.going years, and the later ones, when
after having secured competence, he de.
termined to explore the land as we'll as the
sea, and, attracted by the name of Perkins
had made the acquaintance of May and her
father When he learned that the latte,
was from his own native town, and was in
deed the playmate Of his childhood, moth
ing was wanting to open the way to warn
intimacy. But then had come the Hines.
and death of George Perkins, and now Johr
Mcintosh had brought his friend daughter
home.
Was there, or was there not, love affail
going on between John Mcintosh and May
| Perkins! This was the question that agi
tated Miss Betty dav and night.
| The young girl was all that was franl
| and sweet, and devoted to her aunt. Sh,
| indulged in no foreign airs, she spoke n,
| strange tongues, her manners with Mr.. Nc
Intosh were free aud cordial rs with he
fathers friend.
| Miss Betty thought the matter over morn
| ing and night, and in the watches of tn
night. but could come to no conclusion. Blu
then, why should he not love heri Wa
she not young and beautiful Miss Bett,
| looked at her own hollow cheeks an
sunken temples, counted the few stragglin
| ringlets that framed her care worn face
and decided that Of course he must be il
love with May.
Why Is it that women are always sur
that physical beauty exercises supreme in
fluence over man! They SEQ enough t
teach them otherwise, but they refuse I
be taught.
The summer passed along and what
glorious summer it was! The rose
bloomed, the harvest ripened, the tussele
corn grew straight and tall. John Mclntos
called nearly every day. AT one time
brought book, at another he proposed